First Thursday: Angie Smith’s "Stronger Shines the Light Inside"

Angie Smith’s photos of Boise refugees have garnered national attention.

Angie Smith's Stronger Shine the Light Inside

Though she's based in Los Angeles, photographer Angie Smith has a strong connection to Boise: When Boise Weekly spoke to her last year, Smith said her family's deep Boise roots go back three generations. What drew Smith in during a visit to Boise five or six years ago, though, was not the city's past: It was its new role as a haven for refugees.

"I was impressed by [the] growing diversity," Smith said. "People from every corner of the world.

So, with help from a Kickstarter fund and a grant from the Boise Department of Arts and History, Smith began working on Stronger Shines the Light Inside: Illuminating the Refugee Experience in Idaho, documenting life in the City of Trees for people from Afghanistan, Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq and Syria, which has received national attention. See and celebrate the exhibition at the opening reception at the Linen Building (1402 W. Grove St.), which will feature local eats and entertainment, with food from Kibrom's Ethiopian Restaurant and The Goodness Land, wine from Zhoo Zhoo and beer from Bittercreek, along with the poetry of Patrick Wangoi, dance by the Wawakali Group, music by Gloria Butinda and more. The reception begins at 7 p.m., a donation of $20 is suggested, and space is limited so reservations are definitely encouraged. Visit strongershinesthelightinside.com for more info.